I never hang out in Montmartre, but in the past week, I ate at four different restaurants in the neighborhood. It was great to explore a new arrondissement and learn that there really is more to Montmartre than just the Moulin Rouge and Sacré-Coeur.

Christophe (by the way, he just redid his website!) took me to brunch at Bobby & Bobette (14 rue Houdon). It was a charming restaurant with the absolute nicest staff. On Saturday, they have brunch for 23 euro (which is actually a great deal in Paris) and you get a hot drink, LARGE glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, scrambled egg/Eggs Benedict, bacon/smoked salmon, potatoes, a pastry, baguette, AND DESSERT. Talk about a mountain of food. I really enjoyed my Eggs Benedict because the hollandaise sauce was light and lemony. I was so full that they actually packed my dessert to-go. I would gladly return to Bobby & Bobette any day and I really want to try their hamburger next time.

My friends were visiting me from the U.S. this week so we headed to Montmartre to check out the Sacré-Coeur. After a long day of exploring Montmartre and climbing up and down the hill twice, my friend had read about Soul Kitchen (33 rue Lamarck). It sounds like it should be Southern food, but it’s actually a coffee shop serving incredibly fresh and healthy food. The restaurant was opened by two sisters and I fell absolutely in love with the place. Everything was adorable– from the cute plates to the multitude of children’s board games. The menu changes every day and for 12.50 euro, you get a small salad, main dish and dessert. We enjoyed our vegetable couscous, spinach soup with goat cheese and mushroom tartine, and my duck and roasted vegetables tarte (similar to a quiche).

Cheese and Meat Fondue at Le Refuge des Fondus

Yes, they do serve your wine in a baby bottle

If you live in Paris, I feel like you have to visit Le Refuge des Fondus (17 rue des Trois Frères) because it is such an experience. In a very small room, there are two very long communal tables. These tables are so tight that you actually have to walk on the tabletop to sit down. You only have two choices: oil fondue with beef and potatoes or cheese fondue with bread (or, you can order both). Your meal automatically comes with an apéritif and a bottle of either red or white wine, served in a baby bottle. While not the best food in the entire world, it’s definitely a lively place and worth checking out. We were definitely bigger fans of the cheese fondue and white wine (I seriously would not advise getting the red wine). For the cheese fondue and alcohol, it’s 21 euro per person and the beef was an extra 9 euro (flat rate). Try to make reservations beforehand so that you’re not waiting outside forever.

Le Petit Carnard

If you love to eat duck, then Le Petit Carnard (19 Rue Henry Monnier) is the place for you! They literally have all things duck, ranging from foie gras to duck tartare. It’s a tiny restaurant so you have to have reservations (unless you don’t mind eating past 10pm). We had a really interesting “Mother Gaud” salad, which had gizzards glazed with raspberry vinaigrette, dried duck breast stuffed with foie gras, croutons and a poached egg. My favorite main dish was the carnard à l’orange. I would definitely recommend the dark meat over the duck breast. I thought my duck aiguillettes were a little too tough and dry– really nothing spectacular. I’d go back for the duck foie gras and duck à l’orange.

What a wonderful week. They were my first visitors from the U.S. and I had such an amazing time showing them around the city and also trying new restaurants. I’ll end this blog post with a photo from the Sacré-Coeur on a rare sunny and actually warm day!